Blind Eyes
by The Lady of the Willows
Summary: Hanabi was a child, so she could see without blind eyes. She could see what passed between two cousins. She could see with a child’s innocence.


**Blind Eyes**

When Hanabi was young, she was taught that her sister, Hinata, was weak and that her cousin, Neji, was strong. It was not merely told--- she, too, had seen their skills and understood what was meant. She was instructed to model herself after the stronger ideal.

But Hanabi sometimes could see her sister sitting in the gardens alone, under a tree, in silent contemplation. It was in those moments that Hinata seemed content. At other times, Hanabi would see Neji sweating after training, leaning against the same tree. And he, too, seemed content. Hanabi loved the tree. How could she not love something that seemed to bring contentedness, if only temporary? She was not old enough to understand the symbolism of the tree, but only what it was. After all, she was but a child.

Yet all three of them mourned silently when the tree was removed to make way for some rose bushes, with prickly thorns. Hanabi knew, with her clear eyes, that the other two sometimes would glance where the tree had been as they walked past. In her mind, the child marked it as the first bond she had shared with the other two, whether they knew so or not.

The earliest memory Hanabi can recall of the two of them together was when she first tried her Byakugan and saw Hinata brushing Neji's hair. They seemed so solemn as they did it; Hinata sifting through the black slowly as she made it smooth and Neji staring ahead with his blank eyes. He would still have his aloof attitude, but Hanabi saw how he would touch his hair after Hinata had left. At her youthful age, she recognized there was something between the two.

As Hanabi grew older, she was told more and more but three lines remained the same:

Hinata is weak.

Neji is strong.

Learn well from their examples.

Hanabi wordlessly nodded agreement to prevent the endless repetitions every time they began, but she knew what she saw with her eyes that were not yet blind. Those who taught her were too old to know what seemed so clear to the child. Hinata was the strong one as she tolerated the abuse and only returned more care back. Neji was the weak one with the anger he had not yet cast off. Hanabi was her own person, and she would learn well but she would also make her own path.

A while later, she could remember a bloodied, sleeping Hinata returned to the room she occupied near hers. The little sister yearned to go to her elder sibling, but she was forbidden to. She was not forbidden by word, of course, but she knew she was not supposed to--- that this small comfort was not permitted to the "weak" one. So instead, she snuck over at night, putting her skills to use. Someone might have seen her, but whoever, if anyone, had ignored it. After all, Hanabi was the favored daughter of the current Hyuuga clan leader.

Hinata was still awake when Hanabi came. A gentle smile was on the face of the short-haired female as she sat with her back against the wall and stared at the glass opposite. The fingertips of her indexes were pressed together, giving her a shy air. She looked so… dreamy. Like a doll put up on display to never move, but just for others to see.

"Hinata?" whispered the child.

"Oh!" gasped the other. "Hanabi! What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," admitted the younger.

They sat in silence for a while.

"Why do not you brush Neji's hair anymore?" wondered Hanabi, with her seven-year-old's curiosity.

A furrowed brow formed. "How did you know of that?"

"I no longer see," replied the child. "And I no longer hear."

Hinata's lips twisted higher upwards for a moment before resuming the same wistful smile of before. "He brushes his hair himself now. And he no longer lets me touch him."

Hanabi suddenly wanted to do something. "Hinata… may I brush your hair?"

Time passed from the speaking of those words. A few moments later found two sisters, with the younger brushing the hair of the elder with awkward, childish fingers, but neither of them minded. Hinata smiled kindly and taught her sister how to guide the comb more carefully. Somehow, this let Hanabi feel closer to her sibling. A few days later found two cousins, with the younger brushing the hair of the elder. It was the same as before, but the elder stopped his cousin before she could leave and started brushing her hair. Although it was unlikely, Hanabi felt that she had somehow caused those former morning rituals to continue.

More time passed, and the two children became adults. Hanabi became an older child, still with her eyes that were not yet blind. Though some things changed, some things did not. Hinata is still weak while Neji has grown stronger, and they are still lessons to be learned from--- or so she is told. It is not completely so in her eyes. Hinata has grown stronger with her caring and Neji has grown stronger without his anger. She was learning from them now, of how to have the kindness of Hinata but hide it in an exterior like Neji's, of how to have the skills of Neji but hide them behind an attitude like Hinata's, and of how to keep both hidden until they are needed.

She recollected another memory of Hinata and Neji. The older boy was leaving, and Hinata wished to say her farewell. They acted so normally, but something was different. Hanabi had seen with her youthful eyes how Neji had taken a dark blue hair off a brush and slipped it somewhere on his person. After Neji had left, Hinata looked like a heartbroken child left alone, which she, in fact, was. Hanabi was already taller than her small-framed sister. The child looked down at the clear-eyed heartbroken girl and gave her a hair, also. It was long and brown. Hanabi had slipped in and taken it off one of Neji's brushes after one of those morning rituals. Hinata smiled, though her eyes did not loose the wistful expression.

When Neji returned, three times four seasons had passed. Three long years. Hanabi had never known Neji very well, but she knew Hinata had. A great banquet was held to celebrate his return. After all, he was the Hyuuga prodigy.

And with that came the last memory: Hinata and Neji both dying. But surprisingly to herself, it had been to save not each other, but her, Hyuuga Hanabi. Gentle Hinata had left first and her clear eyes started to glaze over even as they were focused on Neji. Her cousin's eyes had died when Hinata did, even though he turned, unhesitant and stalwart, to his other cousin and proceeded to attempt to defend her. Then, Stolid Neji died as well.

Hiashi had survived the attack, since it had been concentrated on the younger members of importance. But he had been unable to save all of them. Of three, Hanabi alone had survived out of the sacrifice of two people who cared enough for her.

Hanabi closed her eyes and remembered…

She did not wish to remember them as the corpses they had been, with glazed over eyes and cold flesh. She wished to remember them… under a tree… brushing hair… saying farewell… being alive…

On each cold body, she found one hair that did not belong. Hinata had a brown strand around a wrist. Neji had a blue strand around a finger. Hanabi had no strands--- only hairbrushes and memories. The child wondered if the two had been in love. No, she decided; they might not have been in love, but they had loved each other. The Hyuuga heir wondered for a moment if she would ever obtain such a friendship at any point. It seemed like such a valuable thing, but difficult to find.

Then, she realized that she had been a part of this friendship in a distant, peculiar way, which was why they had been willing to give themselves for her. Of course, Neji was required to give up his life if he had to in order to protect either of the Hyuuga sisters, but she somehow knew that was not the only reason for his obligation to do so. Hinata, on the other hand… it was gentle, kind Hinata who was his reason. After she had died, the clear-eyed man had wanted to protect what legacy was left of Hinata: Hanabi.

What had she learned?

Back to those beginnings…

Hanabi recited what she was meant to be taught, in her opinion. Hinata taught her to be caring about close kith and kin. Neji taught her to be protective of what she loved most. They both taught her about friendship. And she had learned about the blindness of some.

A voice called her to continue on after her reflective moments.

Two had given their past for her future.

She would not let it be in vain.

"Hanabi…" 


End file.
